[Tutorial] Counting the Marshalling Points (MPs)

Post by **Gwaihir** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 11:38 pm

Counting MPs during the game
What's the score? Can I call already?

(fallen wizard only) Figure out how many points each card currently gives you, based on your special abilities and your stage resources.
Add the points from all cards together, except (for non-Balrog players) those from companies currently at an under-deeps site.
Don't forget to count any cards that give negative MPs (mainly dead, non-wizard, key characters).
Substract the marshalling points for characters that are currently imprisoned or that died imprisoned. (Yes, if you have let Frodo die in prison he costs you a 2 MP penalty twice.)
Substract 5 MP if your avatar has died.
Round up to 0 MPs if needed.

Counting MPs during the council (or whatever it's called for your alignment)
No need to get confused about all possible modifications

(fallen wizard only) Figure out how many points each card currently gives you, based on your special abilities and your stage resources.
Add the points from all cards together (including those from companies currently at an under-deeps site) sorted out into the following six categories: characters, items, factions, allies, kill, and miscellaneous. Note that the card template is slightly different for each category in the corner where the MP-value is printed.
Don't forget to count any cards that give negative MPs, which are mainly dead, non-wizard, key characters. Note that such dead characters give negative MPs in their own category, characters.
Substract the marshalling points for characters that are currently imprisoned or that died imprisoned. These point are taken from their own category, characters, as well. (Yes, if you have let Frodo die imprisoned he costs you a 2 MP penalty twice.)
If your opponent has 0 (or less) points in any of the point categories characters, items, factions, and / or allies, double your points in that category.
Add all six categories together. Make sure no one category contributes over half the total. If this would be the case, just add the other five together and double that.
Substract 5 MPs if your avatar died.
Substract 1 MP for each unique marshalling point card you have in play that your opponent now reveals from his hand.
Round up to 0 MPs if needed.

I wrote these down as I get asked about this fairly often, especially about counting the points at the end of the game. It really isn't all that hard, you just need to stick to the proper order. So, for those that hadn't noticed that and are still confused: these lists are numbered for a reason: you start at 1 and work your way down, no exceptions.

I hope I've taken all into account. If not, please post in reply and I'll make the necessary additions. Edit: I've stickied this now it seems to be reasonably double checked.

Sauron · Post by **Sauron** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 4:34 am

Round up if 0?  It's not possible to end the game in negative points?  What would happen if a game were to end -1 to -2?  Would the game end in a tie?

Post by **Gwaihir** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:52 pm

Yes, I believe so.

Gosh; you got me off guard there. I haven't tried to look that one up for ages, but fortunately it wasn't hard to find:

Council of Lórien Tournament Policy Number 3 wrote:Negative MPs - A player's final MP total after all End-of-Game modifications cannot be negative. In this case, the MP total is zero.

Sauron · Post by **Sauron** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:03 pm

Wow, 1st time I think I've ever seen that.  1 quick question though.  Does CoL policy apply to CoE policy?  Or I should say is the CoL Policy based off the CoE policy?  I want to make sure it's just not a US tournament rule.

Post by **jhunholz** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:20 pm

CoL policy is the original tournament policy set forth by ICE.

Zarathustra · Post by **Zarathustra** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:44 pm

Yeah, it's kinda odd the different terminology.  CoL was ICE-era, and so when they set out tournament rules, they called them the CoL Tourney Rules.  CoE only came into existence after ICE folded.  Of course, if you don't want to use Tournament rules, you don't have to.  But sanctioned events must abide by CoL rules (or advertise that they won't beforehand).

Post by **Gwaihir** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:19 pm

Sauron wrote:Does CoL policy apply to CoE policy?  Or I should say is the CoL Policy based off the CoE policy?

The CoL policy (a.k.a. the tournament rules) is one of the three main rules documents (rules booklets, tournament rules, CRF) created by ICE and honoured by the CoE. I suppose ICE would have eventually gone on and called it the Council of Endor policy - the Council of Endor being ICE's world over-council where the CoL was their North American council (which they worked out first) - but they kinda folded before getting around to the trivialities of sorting that out.

Wacho · Post by **Wacho** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 12:15 am

Council of Endor?  Have we been taken over by the Jedi?

Use the Force, Frodo.  Use the Force.  

Tegarend · Post by **Tegarend** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 11:04 am

Don't forget Endor is Tolkien's name for the continent of Arda where the documented stories of Middle-Earth happen.

George Lucas is a stealing hack

Bandobras Took · Post by **Bandobras Took** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 2:23 pm

Tegarend wrote:Don't forget Endor is Tolkien's name for the continent of Arda where the documented stories of Middle-Earth happen.

George Lucas is a stealing hack

It's more likely that, since Return of the Jedi was the last movie, George Lucas was working with the word "End."  Just like "Vader" means father, etc.

Jaded · Post by **Jaded** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 10:17 pm

That name (endor) also appears in the Bible, and its not the only one.

Jambo · Post by **Jambo** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 11:09 am

This thread is really handy.  I never knew imprisoned characters which can give negative MPs if slain count against you twice should they die while imprisoned.  Nasty indeed!

Just a thought but would it be worthwhile making a pdf of the numbered points and including it as an attachment in the first post?  Then people could print and use it as a reference if they don't happen to be playing near a computer.

Post by **Gwaihir** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 9:10 am

These pages print reasonably ok as they are, no?

IMHO it only becomes a problem with much bigger documents, like the CRF, as before you know it you have twice the pages you wanted. But even then, printing two pages to one does wonders.

Manuel · Post by **Manuel** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 1:32 pm

So according to this tutorial, you have to substract 5 MP if your avatar has died in order to be able to call the game...?

I have been told exactly the opposite thing (those -5 MPs are substracted in the council, but you don't have to count on them to call the game)

However, which is the right one?

miguel · Post by **miguel** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 1:48 pm

CoL Tournament Policy: Additional Rules:

Victory Conditions-The elimination of a player's Wizard or Ringwraith no longer ends the game. The eliminated Wizard/Ringwraith should be placed in the player's out-of-play pile. It provides -5 marshalling points, subtracted off the player's final marshalling point total at the End-of-Game. The -5 also comes off the player's "raw" total for the purposes of calling the End-of-Game. A player whose Wizard or Ringwraith has been eliminated may not reveal another Wizard or Ringwraith. This includes all Wizards who fail corruption checks.

So dead avatars do count for calling as well. My bad.  :|